Flood Damage Mitigation /
Protection for Military Airbases and Airports

Heavy rainfall or
storm tidal surges can lead to flooding at airports and
military airbases. Runways, flight lines and
taxiways are particularly vulnerable to flooding
since they are large, flat areas that tend to attract water
runoff. When airports and airbases encounter flood
conditions, flight operations are suspended until safe
airfield operating conditions are restored. This can
be a prolonged suspension since flood waters bring debris to
runways, taxiways, and the flight line. The hazard
presented by this debris cannot be underestimated since
Foreign Object Damage (FOD) can cause serious damage to
aircraft. So the removal of flood debris and FOD is a
primary concern when flood waters encompass an airport or
airbase.

Another serious hazard realized by heavy rainfall or
tidal surges is the damage to facilities and aircraft caught
in the deluge. Water saturation can damage
buildings in three ways:

1) Water causes damage to materials. Drywall
disintegrates; wood can swell, warp, or rot.
2) Electrical systems and components can short
out and cause fires or shock.
3) Mud, silt, and chemicals in the water can
cause contamination and corrosion.

Floodwater is more damaging than rainwater. Dampness
promotes the growth of moisture-related mold, mildew, and
fungus that leads to dry rot. Once a
building has been exposed to a large volume of water, either
floodwater or rainwater, steps must be taken to dry the
building out. The damage must be assessed and
remediation measures initiated. Repair and restoration
can be expensive and time consuming. Professional
damage assessment will ascertain whether allowing natural
ventilation and evaporation is better for the building than
the using heated forced-air or air conditioning systems. The
rapid drying out of a building using hot air power drying
systems can sometimes cause permanent harm to the
infrastructure of an affected building. .

Flood waters bring significant health risks to
airport / airbase personnel. There is the
risk of exposure to mold, chemical hazards, and injuries.
To counter these risks mold clean up actions will be needed
to dry out buildings quickly (within 24 to 48 hours).
The doors and windows of affected buildings must be opened
and well ventilated. Industrial fans are used to dry
out the buildings. Chemical hazards are another health
risk encountered during airport / airbase floods.
Flood waters may have moved containers of hazardous
chemicals from their normal storage places. Fuel,
lubricants, and chemical spills on the flight line or in
aircraft servicing areas can be dispersed across wide areas.
Likewise, electrical hazards can be a lethal danger to
personnel entering flood areas. Downed power lines,
and electrical shortages from ground equipment and aircraft
are an ever present danger that must be addressed prior to
allowing personnel access to flooded areas.

Flood mitigation is a rapidly evolving
technology. Flood mitigation is based on the
simple principle that prevention is better than repairing
the damage after the fact. Flood mitigation products include
such technologies as: barriers, panels, gates, shields and
doors. There is no single barrier or shield system to
suit all flooding scenarios or site specific requirements.
Flood barriers, also known as flood shields and flood
panels, are designed to protect different kinds of openings
from damage caused by floodwater inundation. Flood
barriers can be quickly installed and will create a
watertight seal for openings. Each opening in a
building or work area may require a different barrier
design.

Protecting
Airports
and Airbasesfrom the Destructive
Forces of Nature The National Aerospace Organization is hosting a
symposium and exposition on November 15th, 2012 to address
new technologies and innovations for effectively mitigating
flood damage at airports and military
airbases. At this event, other destructive natural
forces such as fire, hurricanes, snow and ice, earthquakes, and
lightning will be addressed. Exciting presentations
will be provided to explain and demonstrate the most
effective technologies and equipment for protecting airport runways, flight lines, taxiways, aircraft
hangars, terminals and support facilities.

Copyright 2007 - 2014 National Aerospace Organization (NAO). All
rights reserved. Photos courtesy of National Aerospace
Organization, iStock International, Dreamstime LLC, Air Force, NASA, and Department
of Defense image services. NAO is an independent technology
liaison service. It serves as an unbiased ombudsman matching the
capabilities of private industry with the requirements of the
Department of Defense, United States Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps,
Army, and NASA. NAO is not a Government agency. It operates
via funding from student tuition, event sponsors, and private
industry. Conference and classroom participation
by Federal Government employees does not necessarily imply official
endorsement by any specific Federal agency or department.